Tftomas cabey



Dec. 22, 1925' 1,566,602

W. HOUNSELL ET AL APPARATUS FOR SPREADINS MOLTEN TOFFEE OR OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES TO A UNIFORM THICKNESS Filed March 27. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 22. 1925 1,566,602

w. HOUNSELL ET AL APPARATUS FOR SPREADING MOLTEN TOFFEE OR OTHER bIKE UBSTANCES TO A UNIFORM THICKNESS Filed March 27. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 YIIIIIIJWIIIIIJ Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED WILLIAM HOU-NSELL, or BIRMINGHAM, AND THOMAS CAREY .nnnsr, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SPREADING PATE T eerie-E;

Mon rnn :r-orrnn on ro'rnnn LIK SUBSTANCES TO A UNIFORM THICKNESS- Application filed Marc hflj, L923. fieri allio. 628,051. I

1 '0 all whom it may concern;

BeitknoWn that e, -WILLIAM HouNsnLL, British subject, of Crosby Works, ,George Street, :Parade, Birmingham, England, vand Tn'oMAs CA zEY FIL ERY, British subjeeufif Gladstone House, Hawkshurst, Kent, Eng land, have invented certain new andns'eful Improvements in Apparatus .iol' QSlilfIQfifiliilQ M lten Tefie or Other lik Subste'm a Uniform Thickness, otwhich the fellowm is aspecifioation.

his invention comprises newer improved means for equalizing the thickness of substances such as tofiee, sugars, confectionery, and other substances, and'these means preferably embody also means for cutting the substances into slabs of any, desired size.

\Ve Will describe the invention in connection with .to'ffeetn anuiacture from Which its application to other substances will be readily understood.

Inthis art it is Well known to cool the sweetn eat after boiling it by pouring it onto a table or plane surface, over which it isspread. The table may be cooled by Water circulated below it, but this is immaterial torthepurpose of .0111 invention.

Theobjects of our invention are to provide improved means in the form of an inclined blade forrapidly spreading the substance evenly over the table, or plane surface, so ,as to result an equalized thickness n th mess he i has coo1ed an set; to enabletheheig'ht of, the spreading deviee to be adjusted so asvto permit a desired thicknessto be obtained; and to enable the substance to lee-readily cut up into slabs.

-Witht11ese objectsin View our invention comprises atable or bed having a surface on hich ;th substenee is p ured, e tabl iheving r ek A l ng i side a ca r age w pinion engaging h reeks, and n'e jlle fable spreader device on the cal e compris n ran sta e.

manned. blade edai ted't leiiigee Figiire ,5 is adetail view showing the means {for adjusting the height ,ofthe blade, The figures shown havepor'tionscut ai-vay f )r convenience of space. i.

in th em e me wslmwn, thet bl a s. ii iovide l a g tw ppo i e s d wi h a toothed rack b with the teeth downwardly di reet Th ar iage n e se comprises two carrier plates -0 and d, oneat eeh side, 1 ich a e moun ed roll r to travel on the backsof the racks andjpinions f in mesh with the racks. Tl iesetwo plat s are gidly nnect d res? h tr by e r der eds .qf, and e gea wl el'l is arranged on eachoarrier plate in mesh With e pin on 4' 01 the same xle as the reek rii 'iien f e as mereein ite kpi ien- To tenehlehoth Piniell f to ei n tem one id 1 the ne ine, a ,fuflher piniein k is provided on each carrier plate inwith the e erwh el Zr, end. hese wo pinioli is ar cennie ted echoe he table by e shaft 1 pr erably carrie h ugh s e v 2 i h eh is seemed a it two nd to th two pla e 7 By heensflei r nhi ahd e in eng ge vithfthe spindl of th gear whe l k i01 ei he dl sifthe mac ine-the w' z ieg h reuers de eng they end ons qu n ly e le; r w may he emr 'eyed ar traversi g the t bl (if ir ele tric m t r imp ant en he carri ge m y beemployed.

A we

li e e i efwem lint e metal b1ed jo,p e-

of he de may eneege th re n nd :b s cu d y a setipin ata'ny desired level with 'i'5Ph9P'i the. 0 fee is i i t "th e e fh "heri t hvttem ds? 9f th b e terribly =backvvard1yl5raked Gage, v t

examp e 10 a p e ing 9. le el EILLEBY, OF HAW S iently befin the form of wheel cutters t.

These are intended for cutting the toffee on the table into strips after it has been levelled and is in a suitable condition for cutting.

' These knives can be put out of action when the levelling process is being carried out, and may be lowered into operative position in any suitable manner-as for example by rocking the clip p which carries the levelling blade so as to raise the latter and lower the slabbingwblad'es. For this purpose the clip p is formed with aprojecting handle 1) having a spring detent 'w engaging holes in a boss y on a collar 2 as shown in Fig. t of the drawings. The collar .2 is supported on therods g, and on the other side of the clip 72 is preferably disposed a collar 2'. The spring detent engages the hole 1 when the blade 0 is in working position and the hole 3 when the cutter is in working positiomwhile the hole 2 is for the neutral position. 1

If desired, we may arrange a guide bar at at the back of the carriage to form a straight edge to enable a hand knife to be run across the toffee transversely to complete the slab cutting. In this case an adjustable stop-or catch device might be employed on the carriage and the table tracks to enable it to be located in variouspositions where the lateral cuts have to be made.

vWith the device in use the substance is poured over the table, directly it leaves the boiling pan, in any suitable manner, and while plastic or senii-plastic and warm, the leveling blade is traversed along the'table equalizing the mass thereon, after which the mass undergoes-further treatments,such as marking into-slabs, cutting or the like before itis finally allowed to cool on the table and sethard. V. p 4 A Amongst the advantages of the invention,

in addition to the great saving in labour and the improvement of the form and finish of the product, are the following :-the slabs being accurately gauged to thickness, the

weight of slabs or pieces of corresponding size is uniform and the sealing operations are facilitated, further, machine-wrapping difliculties hitherto experienced owing to the irregularities of thckness are eliminated.

We claim:,- I I if] 1. Apparatus for spreading molten toffee and other like substances to a uniform thickness, oomprislng a table with'aplane sur face on which the substance is delivered, toothed racks along said table, a carriage with pinionsfor engaging said racks, and an adjustable spreader on said carriage in the form of an inclined blade for engaging the substance on the table and levelling it as. the blade is moved along the table by the carriage. I v

'2. Apparatus for spreading molten toifee and other like substances to a uniform thickness, comprising a table with a plane surface-on which the substance is delivered, toothed racks along said table, said racks having their teeth downwardly'directed, a carriage across said table with pinions at each side to engage said racks and with su'pporting rollers running on the back of said racks; and an adjustable spreader blade on said carriage for engaging and levelling the substance on said tabla o 3. Apparatus for spreading molten toffee and other like substances to a uniform thick- LESS, comprising a table with a plane'surface on which the substance is delivered, downwardly directed toothed racks along said table, a travelling carriage arranged across said table and comprising carrier plates at each side, rods for rigidly connecting the carrier plates across the table, a supporting roller on each carrier plate bearing on the back of the toothed racks, a gear wheel and a pinion in mesh therewith in each carrier plate, means for rotating said gear wheel, an aXle connecting the said pinion to a pinion engaging said rack and an inclined blade on said carriage for engaging and spreading the substance placed on said table.

4. Apparatus for spreading molten toffee and other like substances to a uniform thickness, comprising a table with a plane surface on which the substance is delivered, downwardly directed toothed racks along said table, a travelling carriage arranged across said table and comprising carrier plates at each side, rods for rigidly connecting the carrier plates across the table, a supporting roller on each carrier plate bearinn on the back of the toothed'racks, a gear wheel and a pinion in mesh therewith in each carrier plate, means for rotating said gear wheel, an axle connecting the said pinion-to a pinion engaging said rack, a second pinion in mesh with each. gear wheel, a shaft connecting said second pinions across the table so as to drive said gear wheels and rack pinions from one side of the table, and :an inclined blade on said carriage for engag ing and spreading the substance placed on said table' A 5 Apparatus for and other like substances to a unifor1n thick spreading inolten 'tolfee ness comprisinga table with, a planegsurface on which the substance is Ide liyered, racksalong the sides of the said tablaa carriage across the table travelling along said racks, an inclined spreader blade on said carriage, for engaging the substance on the table, means for driving both sides of said carriage, a shaft connecting the driving means for both sides of the carriage across the table, a sleeve around said shaft, said sleeve being secured at its two ends to the carriage, and carrying said inclined blade.

6. Apparatus for spreading molten toffee and other like substances to a uniform thickness, comprising a table with a plane surface on which the substance is delivered, racks on said table, a traversing carriage thereon, carrier plates forming part of said traversing carriage, a rod or rods connecting the carrier plates across the table, a gear wheel and pinion on each carrier plate a second pinion in mesh with the gear wheel in each carrier plate, a shaft connecting said second pinions across the table, a sleeve around the shaft said sleeve being secured at its two ends to the said carrier plates, clips on said sleeve said clips being freely mounted thereon, a spreader blade secured to said clips in an intiined manner, and means for locating said clips with respect to said sleeve.

7. Apparatus for spreading molten toffee and other like substances to a uniform thickncss, comprising a table with a plane surface on which the substance is delivered, racks on said table, a traversing carriage thereon, carrier plates forming parts of said traversing carriage a rod or rods connecting the carrier plates across the table, a gear around the shaft said sleeve being secured at its two ends to the said carrier plates, clips on said sleeve, a spreader blade secured to said clips in an inclined manner, a horizontal lower edge on the blade and forwardly directed deflector plates at each end of the blade.

8. Apparatus for spreading molten toffee andother like substances to a uniform thickness, comprising a table with a plane surface on which the substance is delivered, rac is on said table, a'traversing carriage thereon, carrier plates on said traversing carriage a rod or rods connecting the carrier plates across the table, a gear wheel and pinion on each carrier plate a second pinion in mesh with the gear wheel in each carrier plate, a shaft connecting said second pinions across the table, a sleeve around the shaft said sleeve being secured at its two ends to the said carrier plates, clips on said leeve said clips being freely mounted thereon, a spreader blade secured to said clips in an inclined manner, cutters on said clips, means for locating said clips on said sleeve, said means automatically putting the blade out of action when the cutters are put in action.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

WILLIAM HOUNSELL. THOMAS CAREY FILLERY. 

